World Health Organization Signs Multi-Year Alternative Protein Partnership With GFI APAC

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific (GFI APAC) have entered into a multi-year partnership to produce a report on the role of plant-based and cultivated meat in food systems. This partnership includes funding for two dedicated WHO staff members and an external academic researcher in South Korea, and aims to create consensus among governments in the region on incorporating alternative proteins into public health strategies. GFI APAC highlights the health risks associated with agricultural intensification, such as the spread of zoonotic diseases and drug-resistant infections, and promotes plant-based and cultivated meat as solutions due to their lack of antibiotics and lower saturated fat.

GFI APAC's partnership with WHO is the latest in a series of agreements in South Korea, aiming to advance research and innovation in the food industry. The organizations plan to work with Asia-Pacific policymakers to implement the partnership's recommendations at the regional, national, or international level, with a focus on promoting sustainable and health-promoting food systems. The collaboration was announced during the World Food Forum at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, signifying a step towards addressing global challenges in the food industry.